Regional climate change and adaptation — The Alps facing the challenge of changing water resourceshttp://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/alps-climate-change-and-adaptation-2009
Drawing on the most recent
knowledge of climate change impacts in the Alps
and experiences across the region, this report
analyses the risks that climate change presents to
the region's water supply and quality, identifying
needs, constraints, opportunities, policy levers and
options for adaptation. It extracts policy guidance
on adaptation practice and aims to assist regional
and local stakeholders in developing robust
adaptation strategies. The focus of the report is
on water resources and related adaptation, rather
than water-related extreme events like floods,
avalanches, landslides or mudflows, which are
already well covered by existing studies of climate
change impacts in the Alps.No publisherclimate changeenergywater supplycase studiesagricultureclimate change in mountainsriver basin managementwater shortagerhinedroughtsspecific regionsforestrywater resourcescop15conservation of biodiversityriver navigationpowater quantitymountainsecosystem servicesglobal warmingrhonetourismeu policyalpscross-sectoral adaptationdanube riverindustryclimate change adaptationhouseholds2009/09/11 13:04:54 GMT+1PublicationGetting Europe's precious waters clean againhttp://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/water/multimedia/getting-europes-precious-waters-clean-again/view
Protecting water from pollution is one of the biggest environmental challenges that we face. In recent decades, major disasters like the Sandoz incident in 1986 demonstrated that pollution knows no frontiers and that strong EU actions and cooperation were needed.
This detailed news report looks at the ways in which Europe’s determination to protect water in all its forms is achieving results. From the European quality of the drinking water, through the treatment of waste water, to protection of its rivers, coasts and lakes – over the last few decades it has developed an effective legislative arsenal.
The aim of the European Union is for all the water on its territory to by in good status by 2015. Although challenges remain, results are obvious. For example, in 2000, the EU adopted a directive promoting trans-boundary co-operation and introducing the river basin management concept where the territory of the river as a whole is taken into account. And in terms of bathing water, since 1990, the number of bathing sites fulfilling the EU standards has increased by almost 30% to an impressive 90%.
No publisherriver basin managementRhinewater qualityfreshwater qualitydrinking waterwater pollutionbathing waterwater protectionfreshwater ecosystemsfreshwater pollutionwater pollution from agriculturechemicalsWater Protection Directivewaste waterwaste water treatment2008/04/23 11:24:20 GMT+1File50 years of protecting Europe's environmenthttp://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/policy/multimedia/50-years-of-protecting-europes-environment/view
Today the European Union has the most environmentally friendly arsenal of rules in the world and has done more to tackle pressing ecological problems, such as climate change, than any other major power.
But it has not always been like this. Caring for the environment did not feature in the Treaty of Rome, the document that gave birth to the modern day EU. Yet environmental problems were never far away. Europe’s love affair with the car was moving into top gear, industry was busy belching out pollutants and raw sewage was being pumped into our rivers and seas.No publisherelectronic wasteRhineclimate changerecyclingacid rainStavros Dimasseaair qualityhazardous wastenatureREACHriver basin managementbathing watersmogwasteKyoto protocol2010 biodiversity targetwaste managementasbestosbiodiversity lossfine dustglobal warmingbiodiversityrubbishfreshwater pollutiongreen economychemicalslow-carbon economyraw materialsEU ETSearly environmental policiesenvironmental policyemissions trading schemeNatura 2000fossil fuelsKyoto Protocolriversnatural parksrecycled materialsultrafine particlescoastal ecosystems2008/02/27 18:02:38 GMT+1File